UKDMR_ADMINS is actually a Yahoo! group which was formed in April 2014 to allow the keepers of the various UK DMR repeaters to meet and discuss various technical matters, network infrastructure, talkgroup configurations, etc. As you might imagine, there were a few bumps in the road and getting things on a firm footing was never going to be easy.

In January 2015, G0RDI picked up the role of FACILITATOR of the group and began encouraging ALL keepers of DMR repeaters in the UK to join in the discussions. At the time of writing, the keepers of all DMR-MARC connected repeaters are members, along with the keepers of a few UK repeaters which are not yet (or not planned to be) connected there. Additionally we have members who are waiting for their NoVs to allow them to operate a DMR repeater.

So we have 100% DMR-MARC keepers who are members, and 86% of all current (and future) repeater keepers. We are also lucky to have the Administrator of the Frankfurt SmartPTT - Michael, DO5OC - as a member. Any repeater keeper who wants first hand information from DMR-MARC has direct access; a BIG change from days gone by. The ethos of the Yahoo! group is simple: "Petty politics, excess testosterone and personal posturing are discouraged and frowned upon."

What we (UKDMR_ADMINS) don't have is a formal structure, pecking order, or anything like that. We have members and we have a facilitator. The facilitator has no special powers; it's strictly "one repeater, one vote" in a true democratic fashion. If we need to get in to discussing the funding and operation of a UK cBridge / SmartPTT / whatever, then that may well change. For now, UKDMR_ADMINS is a TOTALLY INDEPENDENT body; it has no affiliation to any other body - it makes it's own decisions.

Today, the UK has it's connection to DMR-MARC kindly provided by our colleagues in Germany who operate the "radioserver" running SmartPTT software from a data centre in Frankfurt. This provides all of the various TS and TG configurations we use in the UK; in return for this connection and support we are - quite rightly - required to adhere to certain standards which DMR-MARC expect. Apart from common sense and common courtesy, the standards are simple and easily understood ... and relate only which talkgroups MUST be carried by DMR-MARC repeaters on TS1, and for the UK, this is the definitive list:-

* TS1/TG1 = "Worldwide" * TS1/TG2 = "Europe" * TS1/TG235 = "UK Wide"

After that, it's up to individual repeater keepers to decide which talkgroups they wish to carry on which timeslots. By convention, the UK DMR repeaters also carry:-

* TS1/TG13 = "Worldwide English" * TS2/TG8 = "Regional / Roaming" * TS2/TG9 = "Local"PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE LAST THREE ARE ALL OPTIONAL; YOU MAY FIND ALL OR NONE OF THESE ON YOUR LOCAL REPEATER.

Feel free to post questions and have them answered in the "Ask the Admins" forum here.